Fairmont City Council to Discuss Joining 'Home Rule' Pilot Program

Fairmont City Council will meet Tuesday night, to discuss joining the state's "home rule" pilot program and what should go in to the application process.

Four West Virginia cities, including Bridgeport, participated in the initial five-year phase.

Fairmont City Manager Jay Rogers said those cities have benefited from the program which offers increased governing power.

Rogers said joining the program would allow Fairmont to make decisions more efficiently without consulting the state.

"We know there is going to be an application process through this. We have about 15 or so ideas that staff came up with of things that we could look at. Really what we want to do tonight is the goal is to come out with kind of a narrowed down list," Rogers said.

The legislature's draft bill would allow four additional cities to join the program.